Article handling mechanism



Oct. 27, 1942. A. J. LIPPOLD. 2,300,298

ARTICLE HANDLING MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 25, 1 935 W INIfENTOR. "7h4 W A TTORNEY;

Patented Get. 27, 1942 ire T iii,

-{relcs which is a division of applicationSerial No. 7,742, February 23,1935. Divided and this application November 4, 1940, Serial N0. 364,145

4 Claims. ,.(o1. 19822) This invention relates to improvements inarticle handling mechanisms. More particularly this invention relates tomechanism commonly referred to as an infeed gate or infeed throat forcontrolling the passage of bottles from a conveyor into a transfermechanism of apparatus, such, for example, as bottle fillers. Theinventionis adapted for use with either intermittently or continuouslymoving conveyors and transfer mechanisms.

This application is a division of a co-pending application Serial No.182,992, filed January 3, 1938, which was a division of applicationSerial No. 7,742, filed February 23, 1935, upon which latter applicationUnited States Patent No. 2,122,149 has been granted.

In bottle filling or similar mechanisms, particularly those of therotary typein which the bottles are filled or otherwise treated whilebeing carried on a rotary table or carrier, it is of prime importancetohave the bottles accurately positioned in respective treating positionson the rotary table or carrier. In order to accomplish such positioningvarious mechanical transferring devices, such as intermittently orcontinuously rotatable or movable star wheels, etc., may be used. Ineach instance, however, it is also of prime importance that the bottlesbe immediately and accurately positioned in the bottle transferringdevice which transfers the bottles from a supply station to the treatingstation on the rotary carriers if the bottles are treated on such adevice.

When the source of supply is a continuously moving conveyor, such asillustrated in the preferred embodiment of this invention set forth inthe drawing, it is of importance to control the passage of bottles fromthe conveyor-to and into the transfer mechanism to avoid misplacementand possible breakage of the bottles. It is also essential that thearticles, after entering the transfer mechanism, be properly placedtherein to facilitate the accurate positioning of the bottles on therotary carrier in proper location for treatment.

Having in mind the above outlined desirable characteristics in a deviceof the type contemplated by this invention it is important to note that,in the present types of devices, breakage of bottles is common. Suchbreakage of the bottles usually occurs while they pass through theinfeed gate or throat mechanism and engage the moving transfermechanism.

The devices of the type contemplated by this not appear to the applicantto possess the combined advantages of having the elements of the infeedgate or infeed throat which guides'the bottles resiliently andindividually mounted to prevent possible breakage of the bottles and thedevice, as well as having such elements simultaneously adjustable toaccommodate the use of the devices for the handling of bottles ofdifferent sizes, and at the same time having the guide elements in thethroat mechanism formed of a plurality of individually yieldableelements.

The prime objects of this invention are, therefore, to provide animproved article handling mechanism in which the articles are guidedfrom the conveyor into the transfer mechanism and accurately positionedin such transfer mechanism by resiliently mounted, individually-yield-'able, pivoted and simultaneously adjustable linkages which accuratelyposition the bottles in the transfer mechanism after guiding them intothe desired transfer position whereby more satisfactory operation of theentire infeed and transfer mechanism is secured with less breakage ofarticles and elements of the apparatus.

Other important objects and features of this invention will become moreapparent upon examination of the details of construction, as dis closedin the accompanying drawing, all of which will be first fully describedand then specifically pointed out in the appended claims, referencebeing made from time to time to the drawing.

The accompanying figure is a plan view of the improved infeed gate orthroat mechanism mounted on a rotary type bottle filling device.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals are used to identifylike elements, l5 represents a base of a bottle filler and capper whichis provided at one end with a rotary bottle filling mechanism and at theother end with a bottle capper assembly supportedon a shaft 20. Spacedabove the hollow base l5 and at the level of the lower bottle supportsof the rotary carrier on which the bottles are filled and which ismounted upon the base, is a table 25 across which the bottles areloaded, unloaded and-transferred between the filling and cappingoperations after being received from and before delivery to a conveyingmechanism.

invention which have preceded this "invention do A single conveyor 26 isflush with the edge of the table and serves to supply empty bottles andremove filled bottles from the machine. The conveyor 26 operatestangently with reference to the loading star wheel 21 and the unloadingstar wheel 28. The transfer star wheel is shown at 29. A suitable bottleguide member 3.0 of the form clearly indicated in the drawing hassurfaces concentric with the axis of each of the three star wheels tocooperate therewith in guiding the movement of bottles.

The passage of the bottles from the conveyor 26 into the interdentalspaces or pockets of the loading star wheel 21 and the accuratepositioning of the bottles in these pockets without breaking the bottlesinvolves one of the advantageous operative characteristics of thepresent invention. In order to accomplish this a throat or infeedmechanism is provided to facilitate'the proper movement of a bottle intoa pocket of a star wheel and the proper positioning of the bottle in thepocket of the star wheel after the bottle has been moved thereinto. 1:

In the absence of an appropriate infeed gate or throat mechanism the topofthe star wheel tooth may occasionally engage the side of a bottleunder substantially balanced conditions of pressure so that thebottlewill be held to the guide rails defining the path of travel of thebottles without tending to move either forwardly orrearwardly thereon.Ultimately the bottle may either be crushed,or maycause breakage of themachine, or may snap from its position with such force as to breakitself or other bottles which it may engage. An infeed mechanism orthroat device of the preferred construction, as shown in theaccompanying drawing, is used to provide for such contingencies and atthe same time to provide a mechanism which is readily and easily adaptedfor 'utilization on the various sizes of bottles.

Fixed vertical pins are provided at- 266, 26! and 262. The arm 263 isfulcrumed upon pin 26!. The arm 263 is provided with spaced bottleengaging portions at 264 and 265 and an intervening depression betweenthese two bottle engaging portions. The bottle engaging head 264 of thearm 263 stands out above a portion of the conveyor 26 in a position suchas to force or urge toward the star wheel the bottles which areapproaching on the conveyor 26. In the event that there is a gap betweenthe end of the arm 263 and the side wall 26' of the conveyor 26,whichside wall parallels the path of the conveyor 26, a slide bar 219may be provided. The slide bar 219 is an extension or wall elementpivoted to the head portion 264 of the arm 263 and in slidingconnecnection with the fitting 28! which is located at the end of theside wall 26' of the conveyor 26.

As a bottle passes around the head 264 of the pivoted arm 263 thelateral motion given to it inwardly toward the star wheel 21 will be ina direction opposite to that of the adjacent portions of the star wheel21, which portions are moving outwardly toward the head 264, The bottlewill be thrust toward one of the star wheel pockets or interdentalspaces in a path such that it will be difiicult, if not impossible, forthe bottle to be caught by the end of a tooth of the star wheel 21.

The arm 263 is yieldable under the thrust of the compression spring 266about its pivot 26! and this yielding movement is such that it willnotonly relieve a bottle of pressure applied thereon during the motion ofthe bottle but will tend to assure the same and accurate engagement of abottle in a pocket of the star wheel 21. As the star wheel rotates anybottle which may be caught on the head portion 264 of the arm 263 willbe pushed from said head portion into the adjacent recess in the arm 263and its slight advance will relieve the pressure momentarily and 'seator position the bottle in the star wheel pocket in its proper position.

It is the function of the second projection 265 on the arm 263 to assurethe retention of a bottle in a pocket when it is delivered by the starwheel against the guide arm 261 which terminates flush with the guidemember 36 referred to previously. The guide arm 261 is likewisepivotally mounted, being carried on the fulcrum pin 266 and providedwith a projecting finger at 268 engaged by a compression spring 259which, like the compression spring 266, is mounted or carried on a rod210.

Carried by the fixed pin 26| is a boss 21! in which is threaded a screw212 turnable by a crank 213. Crank 213 is fixed in an adjusting lever214 so' that the rotation of the crank 213 will oscillate the adjustinglever about the fixed pin 266. This adjusting lever has an arm 215 gcarrying the spring guide rod 210 and another arm 216 which is mountedor carried on the rod 211 in engagement with the compression spring 218by means of which its motion is yieldably transmitted to the throatmember 280' mounted on fulcrum pin 262.

It will be apparent that, when it is desired to adjustthe machine tohandle small bottles and to adjust the feeding throat accordingly, thecrank 213 may be turned in a direction to move the lever 214counter-clockwise about the fulcrum pin 266, thereby swinging the arm215 in a direction to push the spring guide rod 216 downwardly to theleft, as viewed in the drawing. By increasing the compression on thespring 266 and correspondingly increasing the compression on the spring269, this movement of the spring guide rod will result in shiftinginwardly the free ends of the lever arm 263 and guide arm 261 While atthe same time shifting inwardlyv the free end of the throat member 280on the opposite side of the conveyor 26. A reverse movement of the screwwill adjust the parts in an opposite direction.

The bottle filling and capping mechanism may preferably, as indicated inthe drawing, be powered by a driving motor 40 mounted on a motor supportslide 4| carried on the bracket 42 on the outside of the base [5. Thepower is transmitted from the motor 40 and the driving pulley 43. Theconveyor 26 is supplied with power by a conventional type of power unit(not-shown in the drawing).

In the parent applications previously referred to, a detailedexplanation has been made of other mechanism disclosed in the instantdrawing which is not described specifically in this application. In thepreceding paragraphs the novel improvements in an infeed mechanism orinfeed throat for use in connection with the satisfactory transfer ofbottles and the likefrom a conveyor to a transferring device, such as astar wheel, have been described. In the mechanism which constitutes thesubject matter of the present invention, an infeed gate or throat hasbeen provided which will effect the proper guiding of bottles from aconveyor which may be continuously in motion into a transfer mechanismfor transferring the bottles to a subsequent treating station.

The infeed mechanism also accurately positions the bottles in thetransfer mechanism so as to enable the subsequent accurate positioningof the same bottles in treating stations to which they are subsequentlymoved. By the use of resiliently mounted, individually yieldable and ivoted linkages which comprise the elements of the instant invention, allof which are so connected as to be 'simultaneously-adjustable, an

infeed mechanism has been provided in which the resulting breakage ofbottles or breakage of elements of the infeed mechanism is prevented,thereby securing a substantial improvement in the resultant operation ofa device of such type.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been illustrated. Obviously various modifications of the inventionmay become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing theinvention herein disclosed. The invention, however, is not to berestricted except in so far as it is necessary in view of the prior artand the spirit of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with auni-directional conveyor, of a work guiding throat for guidingcontainers into a rotary conveying element from said conveyor comprisinga plurality of spring-biased, individually yieldable elements, saidelements being so disposed with respect to the endless conveyor thatcontainers carried thereby may pass through the throat formed by saidelements and cause said individual elements to yield, means pivotallymounting each of said elements, and means for simultaneously adjustingthe several elements in directions to enlarge or diminish the pathtraversed by the work past said elements.

the work into said path comprising a pivotally mounted arm havinglaterally projecting protuberances for work engagement, saidprotuberances being spaced in succession in the direction of workadvance for urging the work between the teeth of the star wheel as saidwork advances and for finally seating the work therein, and means foryieldably resisting the pivotalmovement of the arm away from the starwheel.

3. A work guide comprising, in combination, an adjusting lever, a springguide connected therewith and carrying a plurality of springs, and aplurality of work guiding elements provided individually with pivotalmountings and individually engaged with the respective springs of saidguide, whereby said several elements may be simultaneously adjusted bymanipulation of said lever and spring guide to enlarge or diminish thepath traversed by the work in passing said guiding elements.

4. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, atable, a star wheel positioned above said table, a conveyor fordelivering work to said table in the path of said star wheel, pivoted,spring-biased arm-s having movable ends and being arranged in successionfor sequentially guiding work from said conveyor into the path of saidstar wheel, means for adjusting the spacing between the movable ends ofsaid arms from said star wheel according to the work to be handledthereby, and means for adjusting the tension of the springs biasing saidarms.

ADOLPH J. IJPPOLD.

